Leg Bones

An X-ray showing a right hip (left of image) has been replaced, with the ball of this ball-and-socket joint replaced by a metal head that is set in the femur and the socket replaced by a white plastic cup (clear in this X-ray).

I'm in Vail, Arizona, babysitting my 230 pound little brother who is going in for hip joint replacement surgery tomorrow morning. He is a little concerned about how the surgeon is going to fix the length of his leg. The surgeon's plan is to compare kneecaps. Iaman's concern is that the reference leg also needs a joint replacement, so that leg might not be the right length either, and so should not be used as a reference.
    This reminds me of a couple of horror stories I heard. Not to worry, they turned out okay. One was from a woman I know in Iowa. She was in an auto accident in her younger years and both of her legs were severely injured. When they put her back together she was four inches shorter than she had been. Her legs, from what I have seen of them, are not disfigured. There might be a couple of scars, but nothing prominent. Then again, she could have been pulling my leg. I have no corroborating evidence.
    The other story is about a young man in Ohio, He was a few years ahead of me in high school. He got a job as a lineman working for the power company. He fell 80 feet from a power pole. He landed on soft ground, which I suppose saved his life. He sustained severe injuries, mostly to his hip joints. The doctors were able to put him back together, though he too ended up several inches shorter than before.

P.S. Operation was a success.